Evan slowly lifted the cup in his hand.
Yes.
Technically, it was tea.
He took a small sip.
"…Tss."
That was absolutely not tea.
Du's Teahouse was committing a crime.
This "tea" had enough alcohol content to knock down a Cloud Knight.
The taste?
Actually not bad.
But if word got out that a Nameless…
A treasure hunter…
A Genius Society member…
An Emanator of Erudition—
Got tipsy from "tea"?
That would be humiliating.
"Hm—"
"Little Bailu…"
"If you don't want to be Dragon Lord, you don't have to."
Hic.
"Why force yourself?"
"Learn from me. Just leave."
"Vidyadhara politics? I'll handle it."
"You go back first. We'll talk after the Stellaron mess settles."
He gently patted Bailu's small dragon horns.
Soft.
Warm.
She pouted but left with her attendants.
Truth be told—
She was pitiful.
In her previous life, she had been Baiheng — a Nameless who longed for adventure.
But the Astral Express had ceased operation in that era.
She had never boarded it.
Among the Nameless, there was an unspoken rule:
You didn't have to ride the Express to be one.
If your heart embraced Trailblaze—
You were a Nameless.
Baiheng had lived that creed.
And now—
Bailu was trapped as Dragon Lord.
The Luofu needed time to recover.
Phantylia had been defeated.
But the seeds she planted remained.
Doubt.
Suspicion.
The Stellaron crisis.
The Arbor revival.
Even though the Arbor had been resealed by Dragon Lord power—
Everyone knew it had awakened.
Not just the Xianzhou races.
Outworlders knew too.
If this spread—
How would other civilizations see the Xianzhou?
"Descendants of the Reignbow Arbiter…"
"And you couldn't even contain Abundance corruption?"
Worse—
If Abundance factions learned the Arbor could be manipulated—
A Fourth Abundance War would be inevitable.
And no one was certain whether Shuhu was truly dead.
The political storm was only beginning.
The good news?
Most of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus were captured.
Dan Shu was sentenced to life imprisonment in Shackling Prison.
When mara erupted—
She would be transferred to the Ten-Lords Commission.
Internal remnants were purged.
Not all—
But enough.
The more dangerous issue remained the Vidyadhara elders.
All four Dragon Preceptors were stained.
And now that Dan Heng had returned—
A Vidyadhara assassin had already been found dead in the Alchemy Commission.
Traces of Destruction clung to the body.
The waters were not calm.
Later, wandering Aurum Alley—
March suddenly asked:
"Where are we going next?"
"Still a few days before the Express departs. Should we plan?"
Dan Heng shrugged.
"I'm fine with anywhere."
He had made his stance clear to Jing Yuan.
He would not remain on the Luofu.
Evan folded his arms.
"I'm guessing Penacony."
"Penacony?" Stelle blinked.
She remembered nothing.
March shot up.
"I know! The Planet of Festivities!"
"The Family's territory!"
Stelle tilted her head.
"What's 'The Family'?"
All eyes turned to Dan Heng.
Resident walking archive.
He answered calmly.
"Penacony lies in the Asdana system."
"Originally an IPC prison planet for harvesting memoria."
"Later converted into an interstellar hotel."
"As for The Family…"
"They follow Xipe, the Harmony."
The Harmony — Xipe
Xipe
Xipe was different from other Aeons.
They were not singular.
They were a convergence of harmonious celestial entities.
Their doctrine:
To counter the cruelty of the universe—
Intelligent life must erase selfishness and individuality.
Become one symphony.
Strengthen the weak.
Protect life.
In the records Dan Heng studied—
The Family had no rigid hierarchy.
But they did classify members by "Returned Notes" — musical distinctions.
Xipe's many manifestations included:
Aelirnæf, Infinite Choir
Dominicus, Conductor of Unified Will
Constantina, Voice of the Grand Theater
Beatrice, Maestro of Blissful Ball
Each an aspect of Harmony.
They did not bind themselves to singular mortals—
But manifested when needed.
There was even rumor that during the Swarm Disaster—
Tayzzyronth of Order was assimilated into Xipe upon their ascension.
Records were unclear.
But Harmony was not naïve idealism.
It was enforced unity.
March sparkled.
"That sounds fun!"
"But… isn't it expensive?"
"Interstellar luxury hotel, remember?"
Stelle suddenly spoke.
"So that means…"
"There will be trouble there too, right?"
Silence.
Everyone looked at her.
She wasn't wrong.
Divine Foresight
While Evan and Dan Heng were absent—
March, Stelle, and Welt visited Jing Yuan.
As expected—
The Alliance had reprimanded him.
Two generals were being dispatched to investigate the Luofu.
If not for the Astral Express crew's involvement—
The consequences would have been severe.
March grumbled:
"Your old Alliance geezers are annoying!"
"If they're so capable, handle it themselves!"
"Without you and Evan, Scalegorge would've been obliterated!"
Fu Xuan massaged her temples.
She had personally experienced the burden of command this time.
Balancing Stellaron crisis.
Internal betrayal.
External threats.
No wonder Jing Yuan always looked relaxed.
It was survival technique.
Just then—
Jing Yuan walked out, smiling lazily.
"Thank you, Miss March."
"But this is the Alliance's way."
"Troublesome, yes."
"If one day I retire before mara takes me…"
"I may board your Express."
"And trailblaze beyond the stars."
He chuckled lightly.
"Just don't reject me when that time comes."
Evan, meanwhile—
Was still thinking about one thing.
He leaned back somewhere in Aurum Alley.
Smirking faintly.
"An Emanator of Erudition?"
"If anyone has objections…"
"Come test me."
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